The Weight of a Broken Soul
by cindermane
Summary: Class 1-A is left reeling when Uraraka is declared kidnapped. For two months, not a single clue is found, until one night Izuku stumbles upon her, body crippled and mind shattered. As he discovers the horrors done to her, he must find a way to push past his own guilt, anxiety, and self doubt to save his friend from being crushed by the weight of a broken soul.
1. The Burden of Choice: Chapter 1

**A/N: Cindermane here. This is a story I've had in my head for a little while now.**

 **This prologue takes place roughly three months after the provisional hero license exam, though the events that start everything begin a couple months earlier. It includes events through chapter 119 of the Manga or the end of season 3 of the anime.**

 **It's been something I've wanted to do for a while now, a My Hero Academia fanfiction. It was inspired by the works of SevenRenny and Scandinavian Sensation's "Take Me Home." Check them out, they are both pretty awesome.**

 **Without further ado, Chapter 1 of _The Weight of a Broken Soul._**

* * *

 **The Weight of a Broken Soul**

 **Part One: The Burden of** **Choice  
Chapter 1**

Izuku Midoriya sat in a hard, plastic chair in the far corner of the ER waiting room. Antiseptic and sickness filled the space, wrestling with each other, and while that was to be expected, there was something else as well, he could feel it.

Trapped energy.

How had he never noticed before, the fear and panic that permeated the emergency room's air? The anxiety that seemed to bounce from person to person, off the walls, ceilings, and floors. Someone nearby descended into a fit of frantic coughing. He flinched. Somewhere a baby began to cry, sobbing, screaming. His muscles contracted even further. Two months. Two months, he'd been searching, waiting, building to this moment.

He still remembered that Monday with crystal clear clarity. Aizawa's blunt statement, holding nothing back. "Uraraka's been kidnapped." The class had been completely silent for what felt like forever. No one knew how to respond. Some shouted, some cried. Izuku simply asked " _Why?"_ over and over again in his head. Now he had his answer.

No.

He stopped himself. He had to remain focused. He had to stay where he was. " _Be in the moment."_ He told himself. He couldn't let himself go back there. Not now. Not yet. His hands were shaking. His heart racing. His chest began to tighten as he slammed his eyes shut.

He was being pulled back, back into the alley, back into earlier that night.

"No." He whispered again. His hands began to clench and unclench the loose material of his pant legs. He had to remain calm, he told himself.

And yet, he could not unsee what he'd seen, could never forget what had already been remembered.

The smeared trail of blood mixed with the shadows, trailing out of the alley, pulling him in. The echoing whimpers he heard before he'd even turned the corner. His name, "Deku," barely audible, rough, dry from a throat that hadn't seen water in days, hadn't spoken for longer.

Her naked body. What wasn't bruised and broken was cut and mangled. Splotches of crimson blood mixed with dirt and grime. It was a mosaic of horror he would never forget.

He'd never felt panic like that.

Trembling eyes took in her shattered form. A compound fracture on the leg. An arm bent in a hideous, unnatural direction.

"Midoriya." Someone was calling his name, he could hear it, threatening the memory being played out in his mind, but refused to acknowledge it.

Lifeless fingers twitched, the pink pads having been burned off one by one. "Dek...ku…" Her bloodshot brown eyes reached out to him, meeting his deep greens. Her eyes, those eyes…

"Midoriya."

Her eyes were so empty, as if the spirit behind them was gone. He wanted to reach out to her, to touch her, to help her… but he couldn't. Paralyzed, he could only stand there in shocked, horrified silence.

"Midoriya." Hands shook his shoulders, tearing him back to the present, to the noisy ER waiting room. He screamed. A pair of concerned eyes, one gray, one blue, met his gaze.

"To… Todoroki." Izuku's words tumbled out between his gasps for breath. He cringed at how pitiful he sounded. The red and white-haired teen knelt before him, hands on the smaller boys shoulders. Behind him stood several members of Class 1-A. Yaoyorozu, Ashido, Kirishima, Iida. "What are you…"

"Midoriya, are you alright?" Todoroki moved to sit by Izuku's side, one hand still on his shoulder, as Iida spoke. "What happened? Aizawa's text only said you'd found Uraraka and the name of the hospital."

"Is she okay?" Ashido chimed in.

"How'd you find her, dude?" Kirishima added.

Izuku's eyes darted from person to person, question after question. No time to answer. His mind left to struggle through what felt like a barrage of words. He needed to answer, he knew he should. Why couldn't he? He was better than this, he knew that, but it was all too much.

"Enough." Everyone went silent, all eyes pointing towards Yaoyorozu. She'd been watching the boy. She'd seen Izuku retreat more and more into himself with every question. It was so unlike the boy she'd come to know. They'd begun to catch the eyes of the other occupants in the waiting room who stared at them and all the commotion around them. She sat on Midoriya's other side, placing a hand over one of his. He was trembling.

"Midoriya." The curly haired boy didn't respond. She rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand. "Midoriya." She tried again. He looked up. There was so much fear in those normally strong eyes, it nearly took her breath away. She had seen him go toe to toe with people of unbelievable power. She had seen him put his life on the line time and time again. Yet somehow, here, in this hospital room, he was more terrified than she'd ever seen him before.

She swallowed hard. "Midoriya, tell us what happened."

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 **There it is, chapter one, a beginning.**

 **How I'm naming the chapters will be in sections related to major events, triumphs, defeats, trials etc... for our main characters. I don't know how long each part will be, but Part One will be specific to Izuku. You will see in the future.**

 **I'm not exactly sure where I'm taking this story (in the end). I do know some things I want to happen, but other than that I'm planning to let it evolve on its own. It will mainly focus on Izuku and Ochako, including their personal development and journey, but other characters will get a spotlight. Feel free to leave suggestions on what you wanna see.**

 **I'd love to know what you think. Good, bad, doesn't matter. Please leave a review. I'm always looking to improve.**

 **Till next time.**

 **-Cindermane**


	2. The Burden of Choice: Chapter 2

**A/N: Before we get started, if it isn't already obvious, this story will get dark. There's kind of no way around it with this variety of story. My goal is to handle the subject with tact, focusing largely on the emotional recovery and growth of all the characters involved.**

 **Please take a moment to read the notes at the end.**

 **See you at the bottom.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **-Cindermane**

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own My Hero Academia.

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 **The Burden of Choice  
** **Chapter 2**

Yaoyorozu sat on a bench outside of the hospital. Midoriya sat next to her, bent over his knees, staring at the ground with Todoroki on his other side. Her mind was racing like water in a river. As they sat in silence, Momo couldn't help but consider the boy to her left.

Her first impressions of him were… lacking, to say the least. On their first day, the boy was shy, jumpy, and introverted. That all changed the day of the battle trial. After that, the words reckless and impulsive came to mind. In her eyes, he'd gotten caught up in some silly rivalry, risking himself to simply prove a point and losing track of why the exercise was happening in the first place. It wasn't until the Sports Festival that it all changed.

Not only had he taken first in the obstacle course _and_ survived the cavalry battle, but his duel with Todoroki was nothing short of amazing. The fact that he would push his body so far, endure so much pain, and for what? Momo was no fool, he did it to bring out the best in his opponent. It was the only answer. She knew that Midoriya could've won that fight if he'd just kept going, but he didn't. He pushed Todoroki to his limits and beyond, and why? To save the boy from his own demons.

Her eyes shifted to the son of Endeavor. Her family was in the same social circles as the Todoroki's. She'd heard the rumors. How his mother gave him the scar on his face, how his father's hatred of All Might had pushed the boy to his limits. Yet, somehow, Izuku had inspired Todoroki, helped him to break whatever chains held him. Izuku saved Shoto from himself, who in turn saved her during the finals. After all of that, Momo could no longer ignore or deny the passion and drive that filled Midoriya. The way he had touched those around him, he had lit a fire, not just within himself or his close friends, but in all of 1-A. It was the burning drive to succeed, no matter what, no matter the personal cost. She'd never thought that blaze would falter.

But now…

If what Izuku saw could bring such a strong boy to his knees… Her eyes narrowed. A spark of anger burned in her chest. Whoever did this to him, to them, was going to pay.

A slight whimper from Midoriya drew her thoughts. Her gaze softened. Justice would have to wait. She placed a hand softly on his back, felt his muscles tensing slightly. His breath caught in his lungs. It was for less than a second, but it was enough. It broke her heart.

"We're back," Ashido yelled as she, Iida, and Kirishima approached, six disposable cups of hot tea in hand. Midoriya flinched, head jerking up towards the noise. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Momo glared at the pink skinned girl. She immediately reeled herself in, a look of apology in her eyes.

Taking two of the cups, Yaoyorozu gently handed one to the green haired boy next to her. Five of them quietly sipped their tea. Momo watched Midoriya, who didn't move, staring at the styrofoam cup as if it was some foreign object.

"Midoriya." She said softly. She saw his shoulders tighten ever so slightly. His breathing was quick and shallow. "Midoriya." She tried again. He tensed even further. Bent over his knees, eyes clenched shut, as if he thought if he tried hard enough they'd just go away.

She looked at her classmates each in turn, silently asking for help. Some shrugged in defeat, others eyes widened. Not even Mina, who was notoriously the most outgoing of the class, offered any help. They didn't dare speak, no one knew what to say or do.

Yaoyorozu shook her head slightly. She would keep trying, for all their sakes. "If you don't want to talk-"

"My mother's apartment." He said rapidly, cutting her off like it was some kind of confession.

"What?"

"I…" His eyes went wide. Yaoyorozu instantly recognized his descent back into panic. Placing a hand on his knee, she felt him tense. Her touch was good. It grounded him, kept him from falling further into his anxiety.

He took a deep, shaky breath and let it out. "I… I found her in an alley by my m-mom's apartment. There was blood… so much blood…" He stopped there, leaving a long stretch of silence to hang heavily over the group.

"Midoriya." He looked up, meeting the taller girl's gaze. There was a frenzy in his eyes that worried her. "You found her in the alley…" She gestured for him to continue. He swallowed hard.

"I found her in-in the alley and I…" He stopped. Stopped talking. Stopped breathing. Just stopped. He inhaled suddenly, the breath catching in his throat. She saw tears start to cascade down his face. Letting out a strangled gasp, he shook. Iida took a step forward to help, but Yaoyorozu gestured for him to stop. Midoriya needed this. He needed to be given the time to say what he needed to say, what he had to say. He needed to understand that he was not alone in this, that he didn't have to shoulder the burden on his own. "It's… It's my fault." He let out a sob. "She's… she's…it's because…" He was making less and less sense.

Momo reached for his wrists, holding them softly. "Midoriya." His hands were shaking. "Midoriya, you to calm down. Look at me." She leaned down to make eye contact. "Look at me." He did so. "It's not your fault."

"But-"

"It is not your-

"My name."

She was not expecting that. "What?" She began, as he tore his hands out of hers and stood up in defiance. The tea fell to the ground, splattering hot liquid all over the concrete as everyone jumped back in reaction.

The green haired boy stared down at his trembling palms. "My name… Her blood… She… She…"

Momo panicked. The situation was spiraling out of control. She had to do something, and quickly. She needed some way to force him to focus. Standing, she hoped she wouldn't regret what she was about to do.

"Izuku." She shouted.

The boy went silent as all eyes turned to Momo in shock. She swallowed hard. "Midoriya." She carefully took his hands in hers. "If you don't want to tell us," she said slowly, "you don't have to. But we're your friends, and Uraraka's. We're here to help you, both of you. Say the word, and we'll back off, but if you need to talk-" The boy flung himself forward, wrapping his arms around the taller girl, sobbing hard into her side. For a second she simply stood there, arms out awkwardly, before embracing the hug.

"They wrote my-my name i-in her blood." He sobbed.

Her eyes widened. "They what?"

"They took h-her because of me." She looked to Todoroki, still sitting down. He look just as shocked. They stood there for several minutes as his body was wracked with sobs . She rubbed gentle circles on his back as he let out all of the stress, anxiety, and desperation of the last hour. Eventually he stopped, released Yaoyorozu, and took a step back. He looked awful. His eyes were bloodshot, and his clothes wrinkled. His face was expressionless, as if he had just cried out all his emotion onto her shoulder. He sniffled several times, and Momo immediately felt a well of protectiveness spring up inside her.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't go inside with Ashido and wait for some news." He simply nodded once.

"Yeah," Ashido took his hand and began to lead him back to the waiting room. "I'll stay with you."

Momo waited till they were out of sight before collapsing onto the bench, her head in her hands.

"Shit." Three sets of eyes swung towards Kirishima, but no one disagreed.

Iida grimaced. "We cannot ignore the implications of this."

Todoroki nodded. "You're right. There are other places far more public where they could've dropped her if they wanted to make a statement. The fact they did it at his mom's apartment, and wrote his name… in her blood. This wasn't meant to be a statement."

Kirishima's face darkened. "It's meant to be a threat."

Several minutes passed in silence. Yaoyorozu had nothing to say. The past five minutes had taken all of her energy. She needed time to recover and gather her thoughts.

"We should head inside and wait with Midoriya." Iida said in a quiet voice. Kirishima and Todoroki slowly nodded their agreement.

"You…" Momo began. "You guys go ahead. I… I need a minute." Her head fell back and she stared up at the dark sky.

"Very well." Iida said. "Take whatever time you need." She heard their footsteps begin to retreat. She was alone.

"Yaoyorozu." Her head shot up, her gaze meeting the dual colored eyes of Todoroki. They held contact for several seconds before he looked away. "I wanted to say thank you. I mean… for helping Midoriya. I'm not sure it's something I could have done."

She couldn't help the sad smile that crossed her lips. "Class 1-A is as much my family as my parents are. The fact that this whole thing, Uraraka's kidnapping, the torture, his name, it doesn't just hurt him." Adjusting herself on the seat, she looked at Todoroki. "Why would someone do this? What did he do to deserve such treatment?" She felt the sting of tears behind her eyes, but forced them back. She was a leader. She couldn't let herself succumb to emotion, not now, not when they so obviously needed her to be strong for them. Letting out a shaky breath, she continued. "I know I'm not his close friend, not like you or Iida, but I couldn't just stand by and see him so, so…broken. And when he started to break… I couldn't stand there and do nothing. I mean, seeing him like that, it's just…wrong."

Todoroki placed a hand on her shoulder as he sat beside her.

"You did what you had to."

Looking up into Todoroki's eyes she confessed, "I called him Izuku," even though he was there and he'd seen what she'd done.

"It was necessary." He tried to reassure her. "Don't think anything of it, really. I'm positive he doesn't."

Nodding, she sighed. "Thank you, Todoroki."

A moment of silence passed between the two before the boy rose walking several feet away before stopping. "Yaoyorozu." He called over his shoulder.

The girl looked up. "Yes."

Turning just enough so she could see his face, he gave her a reassuring look. "Call me Shoto."

Momo simply nodded, offering the boy a weak smile in return before watching him walk away.

Her eyes followed him till he disappeared through the doors of the hospital. The second he was out of sight, she broke. She felt a warm tear run down her cheek. Then other. Letting out a quiet sob, she hugged herself, unable to hold back the raw emotion any longer.

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Seven black clad vultures huddled around the bloodied body of his student, Uraraka. That's the image Principal Nezu couldn't shake from his mind as he sat quietly in a private room of the Musutafu General Hospital's Surgery and Recovery Wing. Foot tapping impatiently against the plastic upholstery, he waited for word on the status of his student.

Thoughts of Uraraka conjured more images, memories. Knives and needles. Electricity coursing through his brain as monitor's flashed, letting out a symphony of high pitched rapid beeps. A bright light from above reflecting off the white lab coats surrounding him on all sides. His eyes twitched, though his face never lost his soft smile. He hated hospitals.

He was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of the door opening. "Finally. It's about time someone-" He stopped after seeing who it was. "Oh. Hello Chiyo."

The elderly woman shared a knowing look as she closed the door. "Expecting someone else, Nezu?"

The principal sighed. "I've been attempting to meet with the administration here for the past forty-five minutes. You know how I feel about the absurdity of all this red tape."

Recovery Girl made her way to one of the chairs next to the small animal, settling into it. "I know all too well what you mean, but what do you expect? You're trying to move one of their patients to U.A. when she's not even out of surgery yet."

Nezu's smile faded as his mind went towards his broken student. "How is she?"

She was silent for a long moment as she considered her next words. "It's not looking good, Nezu. She'll survive, but…"

He shook his head. It's not like he wasn't expecting this. All the initial reports he'd received pointed to permanent damage, even after the use of healing quirks.

Chiyo took a deep breath. She'd seen horrible, awful things. Sights that made even the strongest of heroes cry. But this…to a girl so sweet. "This shouldn't of happened, not to her. Her wounds, her hands in particular. The nerve damage goes all the way up her arms. There attempting to repair them, but if they can't…" They both knew the implications. It didn't need to be said aloud, and she couldn't bring herself to say it.

She'd lose her quirk.

The principal's hands tightened into fists, his smile gone. "That poor girl. To think, she was caged and tortured like some common animal. Punished for things she had no control over." Anger bubbled up in his chest. He could relate, he had no control over who he was or what happened to him after his quirk manifested. "She had no way of knowing this would come of Midoriya's friendship."

"You can hardly blame the boy."

The principal's smile returned. "Of course not. This is as much a wound to him as it is to her." He took a glance at the elderly woman.

Her eyes were fixed on the fluorescent lights above her, her mind in turmoil. "This is wrong, Nezu. This whole thing. They're children." She shook her head in disgust. "What did they do to deserve this?"

Nezu pondered her question for a moment. He knew his propensity for long talks on heroics, of the philosophies of good and evil and he knew now was not the time to burden the woman with such discussions. Still, _something_ needed to be said.

"Can you not see it Chiyo?" She gave him an inquisitive look encouraging him to continue, so he did. "Destiny has chosen 1-A. Each and every one of them has caught a glimpse of what's out there, yet instead of running from the shadows, they have chosen to stand in the light." He shook his head sadly. "Their fate was sealed the day the League of Villains attacked the USJ. That day they saw the true evil which lurks in the darkness."

Chiyo's face fell at the memory. They had been lucky that most of the injuries were superficial, mere cuts and bruises. If things had been even a little different… She stopped herself. It was never a good practice to play with what if's. Instead, she turned her mind to the words of her principal. "Then why Midoriya? Why hurt him, of all people?"

"I felt it from the moment I saw him in the entrance exam, before I even knew he was Toshinori's successor. The boy has a sense of destiny about him, purpose yet unrealized. I've seen it, and I can only assume so has our enemy."

"They wish to stop him while he's young."

Nezu laughed. "Exactly. Shigaraki has seen it. Yet, in their attempt to rid themselves of All Might's chosen, they've made a fatal mistake." His grin turned sadistic. "They've gone too far with what they did to Uraraka. This declaration of war will not go unanswered.

"I once wished to save Shigaraki. It is all too clear to me now. He is beyond saving." Small paws tightened into fists as a manic look began to burn in Nezu's eyes. "We've stood on the sidelines for far too long, Chiyo. Those who worship the darkness have grown powerful. But now, with the fall of All Might, they've stepped out of the shadows. Their very presence threatens our society at its core. We have no choice. It is time to make sure that the wrongs done to my students are avenged." There was fire in his eyes, a manic, almost sadistic determination.

Chiyo frowned. Nezu could get a little out of hand, go to far. This, what he was talking about, the rage she saw welling up in him, was extreme. "I hope you're not talking about revenge."

He laughed. It was a cruel sound, almost insane in its volume. "No. Justice. I'd never do to them what they did to her, what was done to me. What I have planned is arguably far worse. We'll take them out, one by one. We'll destroy the pillars on which their League of Villains rests. Shigaraki will be last of all. All alone, he'll stand, helpless against the forces of the light."

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 **A/N: Hey guys. Thank you for all the favorites and follows, and especially the reviews on that first chapter. They were really encouraging and helped fuel the fire for this chapter.**

 **I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out and have been excited to share it with you. Hopefully, I achieved that nice balance I was aiming for. As always, I'm looking to improve, so please leave a review and let me know what you liked and what you didn't.**

 **A note on Yaoyorozu using Izuku's first name, it's a thing there in Japan. It's disrespectful and rude, unless you're given permission, like with Tsuyu. For some characters, I don't think they would care, but more higher class people (like Iida, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu) would be more likely to follow tradition.**

 **I would love to hear your thoughts on Nezu. He's a character that, in all the fanfiction I've read for this show, I've only seen once, and he only said like a couple of things. In this, he accidentally got a little more crazy than I originally intended. The lack of content to refer to made him hard to write for.**

 **Your reviews mean a lot to me. I consider all of them carefully. I want to know ALL of your thoughts and opinions, good and bad.**

 **Special thanks to DGSchneider helping me with copy editing. She is the best.**

 **Until next time**

 **-Cindermane**


	3. The Burden of Choice: Chapter 3

**A/N: Just a reminder, this story will be dark, and includes canon up until Chapter 119 of the manga and the end of season 3 of the anime.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own Boku no Hero Academia.

* * *

 **The Burden of Choice  
Chapter 3**

Ashido led Midoriya to a corner of the waiting room. She tried to offer him words of comfort. Her hushed voice, however, was drowned out by the chaos of the ER, not that Midoriya would have heard it anyway. He was exhausted. Every nerve felt like it had been strained to its limits, and after his break down outside, he felt...empty. A gaping silence filled his mind, blocking out everything else.

Soon, Iida, Todoroki, and Kirishima returned, gathering around him.

It didn't matter.

Nothing mattered.

Midoriya didn't acknowledge them. Instead, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back, tuning out the meaningless conversation his four friends were trying to force. His mind jumped from thought to thought, trying to make sense out of the jumbled mess.

He wanted to cry, to scream, to yell. Something, anything that would push him past this awful state he was in, that would make him feel. Something that would wake him up from what seemed like a terrible nightmare.

It didn't matter. Try as he might, the emptiness prevailed.

His brow furrowed as he forced his mind back, working through the night from the beginning.

After Uraraka's disappearance, the campus had been placed on lockdown. Students weren't allowed off without teacher supervision and then only on rare occasions. It was a necessary precaution but made for a long and tedious couple of months. Especially for Midoriya, who missed his mother terribly.

It all seemed so innocent when All Might offered to take him to see his mom. That was the start, he thought, had to be. They'd gone early in the day and spent most of the time visiting. It had been just what he needed. Those few short hours spent in his mother's warm and comforting presence had caused him to forget entirely the chaos that had formed since the kidnapping. It reminded him of the light that once inspired and invigorated him, the reasons he went down this path in the first place. Eventually, it was late and time for them to return to U.A. With a smile on his face, Midoriya had stepped out as Inko discussed something private with his mentor.

That's when he saw the trail…the trail of blood.

A hand pressing into his shoulder ripped the young hero from his thoughts. The world came rushing back, loud and invasive. Green eyes flew open to find Iida standing over him looking concerned.

"Midoriya." He said as if he had been repeating his name for quite some time. "Are you alright?"

Izuku swallowed hard. People kept asking him that, how was he supposed to respond? "I...I'm fine." He gave Iida a shaky smile, as if that would help his friends believe him. The look on the other boy's face, however, made it clear he wasn't convinced. Iida let go of Izuku's shoulder and stood up.

"We're thinking of looking around for a vending machine or something," Kirishima said as he got up from his chair and stretched his back. "Wanna come? Get outta here for a minute." He looked around at the chaos of the busy emergency room. The space was filled with the sounds of chatter. There were some who spoke in hushed, panicked tones, while others were casual and calm. Some coughed, others cried. A strangled scream came from one despondent looking old man. The redhead stared back at his friend. "Come on, stretch your legs."

Izuku shook his head.

His classmates shared glances between themselves before Todoroki spoke up. "I can stay."

"No," Midoriya said, a little too loud and fast. "I mean, you don't have to. I'm fine. It's only for a few minutes, right?" They all seemed hesitant. "Really, please," he tried again more insistent. "I'll be fine. I promise."

Kirishima seemed uneasy. He opened his mouth to say something when Iida put a hand on his shoulder. Their eyes locked as a silent battle waged between them before Kirishima backed down. He turned back to Midoriya, yet couldn't meet his gaze. "We'll be fast. Just…just don't go anywhere."

They began to walk away. All of them except Todoroki. Izuku forced a smile. "Go. I'm okay, really, I'll be fine."

Todoroki looked like he was going to object, but didn't. Izuku watched as his fists tightened and shoulders tensed.

The other boy let out a loud huff of a breath. "Very well." Todoroki bowed slightly before turning and heading off after the others.

Izuku watched him walk away and sighed in relief when he was gone.

He couldn't face them, not yet. Their intentions were good. They wanted to help, but he wasn't ready to accept it. He needed some space, some time to think and actually figure out where he stood and what to do. Leaning forward, elbows on his knees, his face fell into his hands.

He wished he could just wake up and end this as if it was some kind of nightmare. He knew better than that though. It was stone cold and unchangeable. It was reality. Just like that trail of blood that led him...he stopped himself. The area in which his mom lived was a nicer part of town. It was quiet most days, and so the possibility of that blood being from human never crossed his mind. What he expected to find was an animal, an injured animal. A cat or a dog that had dragged itself from the sidewalk into the alley. He would help it if he could. That was his plan.

But what he saw was nothing like what he thought he would find. Izuku's heart began to race at the memory of it all, pounding hard against his chest, so loud it was all he could hear. His throat tightened, his breathing became strained as he struggled to draw in air. The sound, all that sound, the laughing, the crying, the coughing, the screams, that seemed so distant before was suddenly close, it clawed at his mind, threatening to drown him.

Blood. The thick puddles of deep, crimson red reflected the pale light of the moon like mirrors, drawing him down the alley.

His hands tightened into his green hair. The memory of finding his friend like that would forever be seared into his mind. The sound of her voice calling him by name, that nickname she'd given new purpose. "Deku." It was her voice, but different. What had brought him joy in the past was now like nails on a chalkboard, and just remembering it caused a knot to form in his stomach, rising up, burning the back of his throat.

He wanted to fix it, had to fix it. But he couldn't go back, couldn't keep it from happening. That thought would haunt him forever. If he could figure out why, though...why she had been taken, why his name was scrawled over her body, if he could figure that out maybe he could keep it from happening again, to someone else.

A brown paper bag landed with a thud in his lap. He jumped, almost dropping it. He looked up, eyes widening.

"Hey, kid."

"Sn-Snipe?" Clear as day, there he was, the pro-hero himself. "Wha- bu-" He blinked several times. It was the stress. The stress was doing things to his brain. He was imagining things now, he was sure of it.

"What's the matter?" Snipe said, laughing through his mask. "Cat caught your tongue?" The gunslinger cast his gaze around the large room. "You're here alone?" He asked, his tone suddenly serious.

"No...They…" He squeaked. He shook his head to get rid of the surprise. "They, my friends, uh, they went to find something to eat."

"Hmm." Was the gunslinger's only response. He turned back to Izuku, tipping his hat at the younger boy. "You take care now. I'm off to find the principal." He began to walk away.

Something screamed within Izuku. This was his chance. He needed help and here it was right in front of him. "Snipe." He called out before he could stop himself. The pro-hero turned.

"Yeah?"

"I-" Izuku's voice caught in his throat. He stared down at the hands holding the bag of hot food. They were shaking. "I-" How could he say the words in his mind when his thoughts were so jumbled? The questions he had, the answers he _needed_. They could only be given by someone who knew, a pro-hero like the one standing right there in front of him. "How?" His eyes stung with tears. Trying to hold them back, he closed them tight as he listened to Snipe move closer. The creak of the metal and plastic seats let him know the man had sat down across from him.

There were several moments of silence before Snipe finally spoke. "You wanna know how to fix this, is that it, kid?" Izuku nodded. Anything more, and his emotions would come rushing back. He heard Snipe give out a heavy sigh through his mask. "Look, I don't know you that well. Heck, I think this is the first time we've talked. But I've seen you, seen your drive."

Izuku looked up. "But… My mother, she…"

"Is she in danger? Yeah." The hero said matter of factly. Midoriya simply nodded before putting his head back down. Snipe regarded him. He looked broken, a far cry from any other time Snipe had seen him. "Don't know what to tell ya, son. This business ain't an easy one. There _are_ risks and there's really no good answer for what to do next. It's something you've gotta decide for yourself."

The despondent look on Midoriya's face sent a sharp pang through Snipe's heart. His features hardened behind his mask. Izuku was young. Too young, in fact. What he was facing was something most pro-heroes were never forced to experience. Their love for others turned into a weapon against him.

Now, Izuku was faced with a choice. Give up, letting his enemy win and abandoning his friend in her time of need, or keep on going, and put everyone he'd ever cared about in danger.

As much as Midoriya may have wanted him to, Snipe couldn't make that decision for him. The pro-hero stood. He considered just walking away and leaving the boy with no other bits of advice to help. Something stopped him. Maybe it was the shattered look in Izuku's eyes. Maybe it was the burning anger Snipe felt at the whole situation. Regardless, Snipe felt a rising in his chest. Something had to be done.

"There's a saying," he began, looking the kid in the eyes. "Heard it a long ways back. Went something like ya either growing or dying, ain't no third direction. You want my advice? You want to know how to survive this? Keep on moving forward or get off the track. Fish or cut bait. Pick a path and stick to it. I reckon you owe that much to the people who believe in ya."

There was a long moment of silence as Izuku considered what Snipe had said. "Thank you." He said quietly.

Snipe tipped his hat. "I'm off to find Nezu." He pointed to the bag on Izuku's lap. "You look a bit peckish, don't let the food go to waste, okay, and hang in there, son. You'll make the right decisions. I'll see later." With that, he left. Izuku watched him as he walked off, his mind full of the hero's words.

 _Pick a path and stick to it._ He grimaced.

"M-Midoriya?" Izuku turned to see Yaoyorozu. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her cheeks puffy like she'd been crying, and he watched as a look of utter confusion washed over her face. She looked back and forth several times between the bag in Izuku's lap and the door through which Snipe had left before speaking. "Did…did Snipe just bring you McDonald's?"

* * *

Shoto Todoroki's calm appearance did nothing to betray the chaos swirling beneath. One thought tore through his mind time and time again. _Useless._ Shoto Todoroki felt absolutely useless. He walked down the halls of the hospital, absentmindedly following behind his fellow classmates.

He couldn't help but think of Midoriya alone in that waiting room. Yaoyorozu left crying on a bench. The best he could do for either of them was offer a shoulder, and even then he'd always retreat. Shoto shook his head, trying to escape from his own sense of inadequacy. He was pitiful. He wanted to help his friends, to comfort them. He owed so much to Izuku. The boy had saved him from himself, and this was how he repaid him?

Dimly registering his friends stopping in front of a machine, Todoroki closed his eyes and slumped back against the wall, sliding his hands into his pockets.

What else could he do? He wasn't warm, like Uraraka. He wasn't friendly, like Asui. He had spent so many years embracing the cold of his quirk that it had become a part of him. He rejected the fire, and in doing so froze his heart. Only now that it had begun to thaw did he realize how alone he was, how removed he'd let himself become because of it.

 _Why can't I change?_ He couldn't help but think. His hands clenched tightly in his pockets. A thin layer of frost traveled down his right pant leg, but he ignored it.

"Dammit." The sound of Kirishima's hardened fist slamming into the wall drew his attention. Cracking his eyes open, Shoto saw Iida begin to approach the redhead.

"Kirishima." He said in a hushed, scolding tone.

Kirishima got right in Iida's face. "We shouldn't have left him." The accusation was obvious in his tone.

Iida simply shook his head as he began to mess with the vending machine. "He needs time to think, and he can't do that if we're hovering over him and breathing down his neck."

"But should we have left him by himself?" Ashido asked. "I mean, after everything that happened…" She left the statement hanging, unable to finish it herself.

"He'll be fine." Iida insisted. "I trust Midoriya. He'll talk to us when he's ready."

"Because that's what you did?" Everyone went silent as all eyes turned to Todoroki. Had those words really just come out of his mouth? There was his cold heart, messing things up again. He began to backtrack. "Iida, I'm-"

"No." Iida's hands were clenched so tightly, his knuckles turned white. "You're right. If I had talked to someone sooner things probably would not have turned out the way they did, but…this is Midoriya. Not me." Iida turned to face him, and Todoroki couldn't help but whither slightly under his gaze. "What he needs right now is space. It's too soon. If we push him, we'll only get in his way." He shot a smile towards all of them. "Don't worry. He'll overcome this." Iida's eyes turned back to the machine as he pushed in the numbers. "He'll do it because he has to and he'll do it his own way, with or without us."

The silence that followed was only broken by the clatter of Iida's order being dropped into the bottom of the machine.

" _With or without us…"_ Those words burned their way through Todoroki's subconscious. He really was helpless here. Powerless. Destined to stand on the sidelines as his friends suffered.

"Todoroki?" He ignored Ashido's questioning tone.

The temperature of the air on either side of his body changed rapidly as his breathing increased. The cold he had nurtured all his life was strong. He could see that clearly now, there was no changing it. He looked down at his shaking hands as his quirk began to visually manifest. Bit by bit he thawed, but it would never be enough. He would never be enough. The fire in his left hand burned brightly dancing between his fingertips. A shoulder to cry on, a comforting touch, he wanted to be that kind of friend, but he couldn't even offer a few words of support when his friends needed it most. The ice in his heart made him useless.

"Todoroki." The fire in his left hand died suddenly as the ice in his right crumbled to shards. Turning, he just barely caught a glimpse of Aizawa's greasy, black hair fall back around his head. "No quirk use in public." They winced, all of them at once. It looked like their homeroom teacher was even more sleep deprived than normal. Todoroki simply bowed his head.

"Yes, sir." He uttered in a quiet voice.

"What are you all doing down here?" No one answered. "Your classmate was just threatened by an unknown attacker. You can't do anything about Uraraka, not right now. However, the very reason you were brought here was to help Midoriya. Imagine my surprise when I found him alone in the Waiting Room with Yaoyorozu as his only companion." Again, more silence. Aizawa sighed. "This is hard on all of us, but it was a direct attack. They used Uraraka to get to Midoriya. We're all upset over what's happened to her but he, out of everyone, will be taking this the hardest. You need to push your own problems, your own reactions aside and help him. Consider this experience part of your training." With that, he pushed his way past his students.

Iida stopped him. "Sir, where are you going?"

"I'm off to find Recovery Girl. Now head back to Midoriya. I don't care what he says or does, don't let him out of your sight."

* * *

 **A/N: And that's chapter 3. I know, depressing, but you gotta break a few bones for them to grow back stronger, so bear with me. It won't always be so bleak.**

 **I would like feedback on the whole chapter, but especially on what yall thought of Todoroki and Snipe (bonus points to whoever can spot the Tommy Boy reference). Tell me what you liked and disliked. Please either PM or review. It helps feed the muse.**

 **Special thanks to the reviewers of last chapter, darkprincess238, Ooobserver, The Last Storywriter, fencer29, and MSPRIGGS. Oh, and guest titled Plz. You are all awesome.**

 **Updates might be coming slower, like this one.**

 **Till next time,**

 **-Cindermane**

 **A/N 12/15/2018: News flash, if you want updates on the story, feel free to check my profile! I'll take this A/N away next time I post a chapter. Hopefully soon! It's not dead.**


	4. The Burden of Choice: Chapter 4

**Long time no see. See end for A/N.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** Don't own it. Never will.

* * *

 **The Burden of Choice  
** **Chapter 4**

Two figures dragged Ochako down the old, cluttered alley like a lifeless doll. Not that it mattered. All that _mattered_ was the pain. It filled her mind, blocked everything else out. Thoughts of the past. Hopes of the future. It trapped her, kept her locked in the present, unable to move past the pain.

An endless cycle of suffering and chains. She'd fought against it for what felt like an eternity, fought to hold on to herself, to her identity.

To _him_.

The stinging impact of her naked body against the cold, wet asphalt was enough to remind her of how _successful_ her fight had been.

A boot pressed hard into her bareback. Sharp, agonizing pain bounced through her ribcage. Her eyes fluttered closed as she screamed, the sound little more than a whimper, muted by the cloth gag in her mouth.

"What to do, what to do?" The voice of the person stepping on her was high pitched and erratic. A woman? No, younger, not much older than the girl herself.

"Toga." A man's voice came from somewhere behind her. It was insistent. "We need to hurry this up."

"Oh hold your horses, Patchwork," Toga responded. She let out a casual "hmm," as if she was deciding what chocolate to buy at a candy store. "I am crafting a beautiful-" Toga paused, and Ochako's eyes shot open as pain exploded through her already broken leg. Something gave way, and she screamed against the rough cloth stretched tight in her mouth, the desperate scream unable to mask the thick, wet crack of the bone forcing its way through the skin.

After a moment, the girls muffled screams died to whimpers, and Toga let out an almost euphoric sigh. "-piece of art." She finished.

The man spat. "You're a special kind of sick, you know that?"

Toga paused as if to consider the statement. "Be honest, Dabi, do you think her face could use some more red?"

The girl began to sob. She was done fighting, done struggling. They'd taken everything from her. Her dreams, her friends, and now they were gonna take her life, and she could do nothing about it.

And _he_ hadn't come for her like she'd thought he would.

She was alone.

Dabi sighed. "We don't have time for this, the tracker says they're heading towards the stairs." She heard Toga cry out in protest. "Get out of my way so I can finish the job."

Ochako felt the man's hand wrap tightly around her hair and yank her head up. Her eyes lazily tracked the villains. "To think, you gave us so much trouble when you first came in." He leaned in close. "You're not burning so bright now, are you, little Tyger."

Images, sensations, memories, all of them flowed through her head. Flesh being sliced, healed, and then cut all over again. Bones shattered, skin beaten, bruised. Blue, agonizing fire, pressing slowly against the tips of each finger, one at a time.

She began to thrash about in fear of what was coming. Pain erupted from one limb and bounded to the next. Dabi slammed her head to the ground. She stopped as stars exploded in her vision. Something warm and sticky began to ooze out from where she hit the ground.

"Enough of that," Dabi said, his voice short and annoyed. She gave out a low whimper and looked up at him. _End it_. She thought desperately. _End it already._

He gave her one last look before rising. "Toga. Cut the gag." He paused a second before adding. "Not her throat."

Toga groaned. "You never let me have any fun." She complained as she knelt beside Ochako and slid a knife between her neck and the cloth gag. One swift move and the fabric came loose.

They removed the gag? Why? Then it dawned on her. They were going to leave her. Leave her to die. Naked, alone, the hope of escape so close yet impossibly far away.

"Toga, let's go."

The blonde gave Ochako one last look, eyes settling on her now bleeding forehead. She smiled "I told you her face needed more red."

Then they were gone. She was alone. Both legs were broken and neither arm seemed to respond to her body's desperate pleas to move, to do _anything_. She was gonna die.

 _He_ wasn't coming.

 _Deku_. That one thought, that he'd save her at the last moment, that he'd come crashing through in a storm of green lightning and pure power, it had been the one thing that had kept her going. The one thing that had kept her from drowning. Her lifeline. It was clear to her now that it was foolish to think he'd save her.

"De- ku-" she said softly. He wasn't coming. She wanted nothing more than to welcome death. At least if she died, she'd be able to find some peace. Her eyes closed slowly as the world grew colder.

As she began to slip into darkness, she heard a faint sound. Footsteps. A soft "Hello?" Her eyes fluttered open. Her breath caught in her throat.

Red shoes.

"De- ku." She tried to speak as the figure grew closer. Was this it, was she dying? "De- ku." She tried again. He hadn't seen her. Would he even help? He hadn't come for her before. She poured the last dregs of will power she had left to try to move, to call out to him, to do anything so he'd notice her.

Her fingers began to twitch as she said his name one last time before her senses began to falter and everything went black.

What felt like seconds passed. Her body began to move. Sirens crashed around her like waves from an ocean storm. The walls were painted red by flashing lights. Next thing she knew the ceiling above was bright fluorescents. She felt wheels beneath her as people all around spoke over each one another in voices she couldn't quite understand. Something was pressed over her mouth. A wildfire of images, cold and dark, burned through her mind. A flood of pure adrenaline sent lightning through her nerves. Her arms useless, she thrashed her chest, head, and legs.

He'd been there. He'd been at the alley, and they'd taken her. They had her again, she was sure of it. She didn't want to be alone in the dark anymore. She had to go back, back to him, back to the light.

"Deku," She tried to cry, but it came out incomprehensible, even to her, the sound horrid, like the grinding of stone on stone.

Voices came from all directions. Large, terrible forms clothed in black clothes and white masks loomed over her like birds of prey. Hands reached out to grab her limbs, to pull her down. She screamed, but the sound was muffled by the plastic mask.

Her world became hazy and unfocused. Her entire being began to slip, like falling. She struggled against the growing numbness in vain. _Deku_ , she cried inwardly, no longer able to form the sounds with her lips. _Deku_

One last picture flashed struck her mind like a bolt of lightning. A pair of red tennis shoes walking towards her fallen form.

* * *

Izuku dreamt of running, chasing something just beyond his reach. He dreamt of cold nights, of dark alleys. He dreamt of choices, of sacrifices.

He dreamt of blood.

It wasn't long before the dreams turned to nightmares. It was the voices of those he knew that eventually pulled Midoriya, bit by bit, from the nightmare's ever-growing hold.

"How do you think they'll catch her up?" It was a girl's voice, soft and quiet. It sounded happy. It came from directly above him.

"Ashido," It was a boy this time, cool and collected and a little sad. "I think catching up with school is going to be the least of her problems."

A third voice spoke up, and this time Midoriya was able to recognize Yaoyorozu. "Todo- I mean, Shoto's right. It's not going to be so simple."

Still only half conscious, Izuku only vaguely felt something tense beneath his head.

"Mina." It was Kirishima this time his voice reasonable, placating. "She's spent two months with villains. The _League_ of Villains _._ " His voice got even quieter. "Just look how Midoriya reacted. If it was able to shake _him_ like that-"

"I know, I know," Ashido said defensively. "But would it kill you guys to have a little bit of faith?"

Silence followed, and in that silence, Midoriya's other senses began to report their findings. His mouth tasted dry and sticky. Scents of antiseptic and cleaner filled the air with that uncomfortable, sterile smell that spoke of hospitals. All of his body lay on a hard, uneven surface except his head, which sat on something rounded and soft. Eventually, he opened his eyes. Above him was Ashido. His head was on her lap, and he could barely see her face over her chest.

Her chest.

Her…

Her…

Izuku yelped and fell to the ground, smacking his forehead hard on the tile floor. Iida was at his side in seconds.

"Midoriya, are you alright?" He asked briskly, one hand on Izuku's shoulder, the other cutting a sharp downwards gesture through the air. Izuku got to his knees, clutching his head, face red as a tomato.

"I'm fine." He lied. To be fair, his current problems had nothing to do with his fall. After taking a second to regain his bearings, Izuku climbed into one of the seats next to Ashido. The pink haired girl gave him a grin. He only managed a brief smile before the heat returned to his cheeks. He forced himself to look away, instead searching around the waiting room for some clue of the time. When he caught sight of the light streaming through the glass entrance, eyes widened in surprise as he turned to his friends. "How long was I out?"

"About six hours," Todoroki said calmly.

"What?" Izuku's jaw dropped. Six hours. How had he slept six hours with all that was going on? Still, the sleep had helped. His head felt clearer. He still felt the panic, the raw anxiety, sitting like a ball of lead in the pit of his stomach.

"Any news?"

His friends cast glances at one another, avoiding his gaze. That ball of anxiety began to grow as he looked at his friends, Ashido to his right, Iida to his left, and the others in the chairs in front of him. "She's-" He tried to speak, but the words lay thick and heavy on his tongue. "Is she…" Dead? He couldn't say it. He didn't dare say it, as if saying it would make it true. All of this, the panic, the anxiety, just for her to-

Kirishima shook his head, and immediately Izuku felt the anxiety ease its grip inch by inch. It stopped at the red head's next words. "We don't know."

"Mr. Aizawa won't tell us anything," Yaoyorozu said, choosing her words carefully.

Izuku didn't respond. His gaze went back to the glass door, to the light of dawn. Fear pierced his heart, a blade of ice cutting through the calm that the sleep had brought. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe deeply. He couldn't lose his head, not again, not in front of his friends. He couldn't give in to the anxiety, to the panic.

A hand placed itself on his shoulder. Izuku tensed and looked to Iida.

"Breathe, Midoriya." The class rep turned his gaze to Mina. "You were right about one thing, Ashido. We can't lose faith yet."

"You're right," Kirishima said enthusiastically. Izuku wanted to believe them, he did, but it was hard. After what he'd seen, what she must have gone through. He shuddered, and he felt the piercing eyes of all five of his classmates turn to him.

"Midoriya-" Mina began, but she was cut off.

"You're awake. About time." Came an exhausted, annoyed drawl. Everyone turned to see Aizawa and Snipe walking towards them.

Iida was the first to react. "Mr. Aizawa, sir." He was up and at attention in seconds. Aizawa shot him a glance.

Their teacher didn't hesitate. "Pack it up, all of you. Midoriya, you're with me. The rest of you are heading back to school." The reaction was instant.

The protests came from all around. Ashido was the first to start yelling, followed by Kirishima and, surprisingly, Iida. Todoroki simply glared at the teacher, while Yaoyorozu tried to calm everyone down. Midoriya just sat, eyes locked with Aizawa. It lasted only a second, but in that moment Izuku thought he saw something… strange. Regret, maybe. Then the pro hero turned his gaze from Izuku. His hair flared up and his eyes turned crimson as he engaged his quirk. Everyone went silent.

"Your acting like children. Look around you." They did and noticed just how much attention they'd drawn. Everyone in the waiting room was watching. "You are U.A. students, each and every one of you, future heroes. Now act like it. Snipe?"

"Come along." The pro-hero drawled. "Midoriya will meet us back at U.A. Till then, you'll have plenty of time to state your objectionals on the bus." He moved forward and trying to herd the students towards the exit.

Izuku watched each of them hesitate, some more than others. Iida was visibly unsure, caught somewhere between staying with his friend and following orders. Kirishima's fists clenched and released over and over, as if ready for a fight. Todoroki seemed about to object but stopped as soon as Yaoyorozu put her hand on his shoulder. Most surprising, however, was Mina, who simply stared at Izuku. He'd expected her to be right next to Kirishima, fighting to stay. Instead, she just looked at Izuku in a way he could only describe as broken, and as he made eye contact, he quickly found himself trapped in her gaze, unable to look away. She opened her mouth as if to say something, before shutting it and turning away. "We should go." Her voice was quiet and heavy as if each word cost her something. Everyone turned towards her in shock, even Aizawa, though he hid it well. She wouldn't look at any of them.

"Mina-" Kirishima tried, but Aizawa stopped him.

"Listen to her. She's the only one of you thinking clearly." And that was it, the final straw. They all just stood there, staring at her, until, one by one, crestfallen, they nodded, and let Snipe lead them out.

Something cold closed around Izuku's heart. It wasn't like Ashido to just give up, let alone be the voice of reason. She led with her heart, leaving little to no decision making to logic. Was Uraraka's condition scaring her? The others weren't nearly as affected, and Mina had never been lacking in courage.

Izuku could ask her about it later. He had bigger problems at the moment. What did Aizawa need to tell him that no one else could hear? Had Uraraka… no. If she was dead, he'd tell them. All of them. Izuku had no question about that, which left an extremely small list of things that it could be. A feeling of dread settled over the young hero.

"Midoriya." Izuku jerked his eyes towards Aizawa. The older hero saw the fear there, the panic, and let out an inward sigh. "Calm down." He jerked his head back the way he came. "We need to talk." And with that, he turned and began to walk away.

Izuku looked at his teacher. He considered staying there, in the waiting room, in protest, not sure if he wanted to hear what his teacher had to say. In his hesitation, he looked back in the direction his friends had left before turning back toward his teacher and calling out, "Mr. Aizawa, wait," as he ran after Eraser Head. He caught up to him just as they passed through the double doors leading into the hospital proper. "Where are we going?"

"To talk."

Izuku stopped for a second as he processed that. Talk? "Wait, Mr. Aizawa" The pro hero didn't falter, not even for a second, as Izuku followed him around a corner and past a room of a wailing elderly man. Seconds later, a nurse and several orderlies rushed past Izuku to the room. "Mr. Aizawa." He tried again. Another turn. Another hall. More doctors. More patients.

Aizawa didn't respond. He turned one last corner as Izuku followed. The young hero was surprised to find Aizawa had stopped in front of a large bank of windows lining a long hallway. It was eerily quiet, devoid of doctors or patients. Izuku stopped beside him and looked out. There was a garden below them, bushes and flowers and trees bent around decorative paths, surrounded on all four sides by the towering walls of the hospital.

It was beautiful. The landscaping was expertly done so that even in looking down at it, the colors of the flowers, grass, and trees blended into a gorgeous peaceful sight.

Aizawa gazed out at it all, letting out a weighted sigh. Izuku couldn't help but take in just how awful his homeroom teacher looked. He looked older, somehow. Like an old, beaten down war horse, and Midoriya wondered how he hadn't seen it before. It wasn't the way he walked, he thought, or how he stood. But he could see it, it showed in how he held himself and in his voice as he talked. There was a hidden tension in everything he did like a wire pulled taut, ready to snap at any moment. It was beyond exhaustion. It was bone-deep weariness.

They stood there in silence. Every second felt like an eternity until Aizawa finally spoke.

"She's alive."

Izuku's breath hitched. His eyes turned towards the window. Images flashed through his mind, the dark, bloody alley of his memory clashing with the bright, colorful garden below him like ocean waves against a lighthouse. He wanted to scream. To beg Aizawa to take him to her. But something in how his teacher had said those two words caused him to hesitate.

Sure enough, after only a moment's pause, Aizawa continued. "The damage is… extensive. Both of her legs were broken, her left calf was compounded. The bones in her right hand were almost irreparable. If they'd been any worse…" He didn't finish the thought. "The pads on her left hand were all burnt off, and they found second degree burns along the left half of her body."

Aizawa continued. "There was damage to the ligaments in her shoulders and the cartilage of her hip." The way Mr. Aizawa talked was clinical, a matter of fact, bordering on emotionless. It scared Izuku. "The nerve damage in her arms is severe. In particular, the damage to the nerves in her fingers, the ones controlling her quirk…" The pro-hero took a deep breath, drawing in the strength to continue. "They called in a specialist from the nearby university and performed an experimental surgery. If it was successful, she _might_ be able to retain use of her quirk. If it wasn't…" He didn't continue. There was no need to say it.

Izuku had spent most of his life quirkless. He knew the pain there. The loneliness that came when everyone except him had something to make them unique, to make them special. Even worse, to have such a thing, such a defining quality, only to have it stripped away without mercy or exception. He could only imagine.

"However, all of that is the least of our concerns." Izuku's head shot up towards his teacher. Aizawa didn't react, simply staring out towards the garden below them. "Our primary worry is her mental health. Physical torture isn't pretty. It's painful, dark, and cruel. But flesh heals and bones mend. If they did more than just hurt her physically, if they tortured her mind, her soul… The body always heals, in one way or another. The mind isn't always so lucky."

Izuku looked back towards the peaceful colors of the garden. It was wrong, that such beauty could exist in a world that felt so dark and cruel. "Can I see her?" He asked, voice quiet and unsteady.

Aizawa let out a breath as he rolled his neck, giving way to several loud pops. "I'm afraid not. They only finished surgery about a half hour ago. She's in recovery and will be there until she's stable enough to transfer. When she is, we'll transport her to U.A. Until then-" He turned towards Izuku for the first time in the conversation and stared him straight in the eyes. "No. Visitors."

A thousand feelings coursed through Izuku at that moment. Frustration. Anger. Fear. Regret. Guilt. Shame. They were like a weight pressing down on him, slowly getting heavier as he grew more and more tired. If he could only see her, talk to her. Maybe they were wrong, maybe… No. He couldn't let foolish hopes replace reality. What Aizawa said was undoubtedly the truth. This was one nightmare he couldn't just wake up from.

An almost audible silence passed over them like the ticking of a clock, as if each second grew longer and longer.

Eventually, Izuku couldn't bear it any longer. There was too much left unknown and unanswered. He gathered the strength to speak. "Why?" He said. "Why tell me and not the others?"

Aizawa turned to face him. His face was implacable. He was silent for several more moments. "Tell me, Midoriya." He began slow, each word carefully chosen. "Why do you think we decided to cancel the work studies program for the first years?"

Izuku had figured that out long ago. "Because of Uraraka."

He nodded. "We were going to let you do it. For the first time in many years, a first-year class was going to be doing things most students didn't do till their second, sometimes even third year."

"Why?"

Aizawa gathered in a breath and released it. "It started with the attack USJ. It was the first sign that the peace everyone had enjoyed for so long was coming to an end. We thought we could withstand it, keep you, students, away from conflict. That all we had to do was stay strong, show we weren't afraid, that we wouldn't be deterred, and the villains would just slink back into whatever filthy hole they crawled out of. Then, Hosu happened."

Izuku didn't meet Aizawa's gaze as the teacher looked down to the garden below. The pro-hero caught sight of a little girl, no more than six, thin and pale from whatever illness brought her here. She crouched on the bright green grass, watching a butterfly as it fluttered around a patch of flowers. A little ways off stood an orderly with a wheelchair, watching the girl carefully.

"Both Nomu and the hero killer rampaging through a major city. Undeniable proof that evil wasn't going to wait for _us_ to make the first move. And, in the middle of it all, were three students from 1-A."

The butterfly flitted into the air. The girl rose with it, standing, trying to catch the bright blue creature as it weaved this way and that through the air.

"It showed us that whether we liked it or not, you students had joined the conflict. So we did the only thing we thought we could."

The winged insect danced a circle of weaves and bobs around the little girl who spun with it, giggling all the way. The orderly, who was stern moments before, smiled at the innocent joy that the girl carried in her laughs.

"We pushed you harder than ever before. We increased combat training. Forced you to learn the rules and laws faster. We changed your final to stretch you further than any first-year class before."

The butterfly began to drift lazily away. The girl chased after it, skipping and twirling in time with the butterfly's languid dance. The orderly's smile shifted to a look of concern. He stepped out from behind the wheelchair and called out something to the girl. She didn't listen.

"We sent you to a training camp. Drove you to increase the power of your quirks. The goal was to get your licenses, so that no matter what if villains attacked, you'd be ready."

The orderly said something again. Still, the girl didn't listen, continuing her dance of circles with the butterfly.

"Then, the villains attacked. They took Bakugou. We thought that the whole experience only proved our point. That you weren't prepared enough, and with the fall of the symbol of peace, we thought it imperative that you were able to defend yourselves."

The little girl faltered and the butterfly drew away from her.

"Then, after all the preparation, all the training, Uraraka was taken from right under our noses, straight from campus."

The girl stumbled, her little hands clutching at her chest as she fell to her knees. The orderly cried out and ran to her.

"It's clear to us now that while we thought we were preparing you, all we were really doing was making you bigger targets for the filth of our society. It was decided that we'd slow down your training. That we stop treating you like pro hero's when you're still only children."

Calling something in on a radio, the orderly gently picked the little girl up in his arms, her small frame wracked by silent sobs as he carried her quickly back to the wheelchair.

Izuku thought about what Aizawa had just said. Bigger and bigger targets. Something Monoma had said to him, a week before last semester's finals, came to his mind.

 _I'm just worried that, one of these days, we're all gonna get caught up in some of your antics._

Izuku saw now that he'd been right. It had been his quest to be number one hero that had drawn Uraraka into the crossfire. He'd _made_ her into a target. There was no denying it. With his voice low and wracked with guilt and shame, Izuku asked his question once again. "But why tell me? If you wanted us to be separate from this, why are you telling me?"

"Because _you_ don't have a choice. The principal suggested I leave you out of this, but my class, my rules. The league of villains has made a clear statement, Midoriya. They've declared war. Not on society, not on U.A. or All Might or even the whole of Class 1-A." Aizawa's steel cold gaze swung towards him, and Izuku could feel the intensity. He met those eyes. Jet black daggers stared into him, cornering him in the deepest part of his fears and anxiety "They've declared war on _you_."

Izuku took a step back. "What? But, this was just a- a- a threat."

Aizawa let out a short scoff, before looking away. "Think of it what you will, but to this day, they've never issued just a threat. Not one. Everyone action they've taken has been deliberate and purposeful. But whether it _is_ a threat or the promise of something we don't yet understand, it doesn't change the fact that we can't afford to treat you like a child. There is too much at stake, for you and for Uraraka. Bear that in mind."

The weight of his teacher's words pressed heavily on Izuku's mind. His fists clenched and released. "What now?"

Aizawa looked at him with his dry, placid expression. "You think about your options. You can continue this path, prove you're willing to pay the price to be the number one hero, or, you can give up." Aizawa pulled something from his pocket. It was a small white business card with nothing but a number printed on it.

"What's this?"

"A hotline. You decide you wanna throw in the towel, call that number. If you leave school, we can't guarantee your safety. The police department, however, can. They'll arrange to pick you up. In fact, I believe your mother's already with them."

Izuku's eyes widened. "My mom," he exclaimed. He was so tired, so exhausted, he hadn't even thought about one of the most important people in his life. His head dropped in shame.

Aizawa caught the gesture. "She's safe, and in police custody. No one except Detective Tsukauchi and a select few know where she's at."

Izuku let out a pent up breath. "Mr. Aizawa," He asked after a moment of hesitation. "This choice…"

"My advice, wait. You have potential, Midoriya. If you didn't and I thought you couldn't beat this, I'd hand you over to the police myself. You have what it takes, but every dream comes with a cost, on us and others. Choose carefully, because when you make this choice, there will be no turning back, and it may not be just you who deals with consequences."

Izuku bit his bottom lip in thought. He nodded.

"Come on. Before you head back to school, we have one more person who needs to talk to you."

"Who?" Izuku questioned as Aizawa turned and began walking back the way they'd come.

Aizawa's voice was dry and grim when he uttered his next words. "All Might."

* * *

 **Well that took longer than I thought it would. Like, a lot longer.**

 **This chapter went through like five different versions before I finally said no more, stopped writing, and just outlined the next large chunk of the story, what I'm calling** _ **Part One: The Burden of Choice**_ **, not kidding** **. Updates will hopefully come faster, but I make no promises.**

 **My large absence was mainly due to work and the long arduous process of moving from one state to another. I apologize, but I don't regret the time I took to do it right. This story is not what it was when it was first conceived, and that's good. It's far better, in my opinion.**

 **So with this chapter, I would mostly just like all around opinions, specific, broad, doesn't matter. Read and review, especially review. Contrary to popular belief, reviews and, more specifically long reviews, are well beloved by most authors. In fact, the longer the better, but no pressure.**

 **Special thanks to** PiperValdez888 **,** Ooobserver **,** JSua **,** **,** pipn123 **,** darkprincess238 **,** fencer29 **,** The Last Storywriter **,** Chopper911 **,** GotTheMovesLikeYaegar **,** Shipping Is Magic 4 Ever **,** **and** Guest **.**

 **Special thanks to** Shipping Is Magic 4 Ever **for the words of encouragement! They helped!**

 **Also, if you ever want updates, feel free to check my profile page. I try to post there semi consistently.**

 **Till next time,  
-Cindermane**


	5. The Burden of Choice: Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own My Hero Academia.

* * *

 **The Burden of Choice  
Chapter 5**

There were few things that could shake the unshakeable Tsuyu Asui. It was why she could stay level headed in almost any situation, be it casual conversation or the heat of battle. She prided herself in her ability to be reliable for her friends, to be a steadfast pillar of support that those she cared about could lean on when tragedy struck.

From the USJ incident to the Summer Camp Attack, she hall stood tall and strong as that pillar for her friends and classmates. Nothing could shake her. That is, until her best friend disappeared. Two long months later, the pillar Tsu felt she had to represent had begun to crack. It wasn't noticeable, not yet, but still, she could feel those cracks, annoyance, impatience, frustration, creeping up in her thoughts as of late. She hated those feelings, hated what they did to the people she cared about, what they did to her.

She turned off the water in the shower stall she stood, taking in a deep breath of the hot, steamy air. She had recently taken to having long, hot showers on the weekends as a way to unwind and relax. She had to remain strong. She couldn't break, not now. Not when her friends needed her the most.

Tsu stepped out of the stall, grabbing a towel off a nearby rack. As she began running it over her legs and up her body, her mind began to wander. It had been two months. Two months since all of class 1-A's world was turned upside down. Since Uraraka disappeared. She still remembered the last time she saw her. Ochako's father had come to pick her up, a surprise visit, supposedly. Tsu's hands tightened around the scratchy surface of the towel. She'd had a feeling that something was wrong. A feeling of dread that had settled deep in the pit of her stomach. She had wanted to stop Ochako, but how do you tell someone not to trust their own father.

Shaking her head, Tsu tried to regain her focus. She finished drying her body and quickly drew on her clothes. Running her towel over the nearby mirror, she stared into her own reflection. When had the bags beneath her eyes gotten so dark? How much sleep had she had last night, or the night before that or any night since Ochako had gone missing? Closing her eyes, she forced herself to push down the doubt. It wouldn't help her or her friends.

The door to the women's bathing area flew open, admitting a panting Hagakure. Tsu blinked her eyes several times before regaining her composure. "What's wrong Toru?" She said, moving to her friend's side after grabbing her second towel off the wrack and beginning to wrap it around her hair.

"What?" Hagakure responded, breathing hard. Due to the utter surprise in the invisible girl's voice, Tsu could only imagine what her facial expression looked like. "You- You didn't- get the message?"

Tsu, having finished her hair, placed a finger to her lips and tilted her head to one side. "My phone's in my dorm ro-" Then the realization hit her, and she dropped her finger and grabbed Toru by her shoulders. "Midoriya?" She asked, her composure all but crumbling. Izuku had left that morning to spend the day with his mom, and when he had, Tsu had felt the same sense of dread as before. "Midoriya, is he safe?" Thought after panicked thought flew through her mind like speeding cars. This couldn't be happening. Not another one. Not another friend gone.

"Yes," She said, her words mixed with a breathless laugh, and Tsu couldn't help but feel the tension release throughout her entire body. Toru swallowed hard and continued. "Yes, he's fine, and he found Uraraka."

Tsu's world froze. He'd… He'd… She vaguely heard Toru say "Come on" before grabbing Tsu by the hand and pulling her towards the door. She followed, barely conscious of her own movements. Her mind was somewhere else. Midoriya. Midoriya had found her. No one, _no one_ , was allowed off campus without supervision. The fact that Midoriya had somehow found her the one time he left U.A.…

Tsu should have felt happy, overjoyed even, and yet a deep running anxiety began to bubble within her. Was Ochako okay? How had Midoriya found her when Pro-Heroes all over Japan hadn't even been able to find a trace in two months? The pillars she relied on so wholly began to crack further.

Toru dragged her to the commons area. The rest of the class was gathered there. Iida was trying to say something, but everyone was talking, trying to get information, drowning out the class rep's words. Tsu just stood there in the ocean of noise, head down.

She had to remain strong. To not let this fear take hold of her. She couldn't let her friends see her like this. They needed her, needed her strength. Toru sat her on one of the ottomans beside the windows. Tsu's hands were shaking. She felt dizzy and sick to her stomach. She wanted to vomit, wanted to scream, wanted to- a sudden explosion silenced both the room of high schoolers and Tsu's panicked thoughts. "Everyone shut the hell up," yelled an angry Bakugo.

"Thank you," Iida said with a downward swipe of an arm. "Now, for all of you wondering about Uraraka's and Midoriya's condition, I'm afraid you know as much as I do. Mr. Aizawa wants Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, Ashido, Kirishima, and I to go to the hospital where Midoriya is."

"And the rest of us?" Sato asked. There were several calls of affirmation from his fellow classmates. Iida just looked pained.

"I'm sorry." His voice was filled with regret. "Mr. Aizawa said he wants everyone else to stay here."

Tsu felt a cold snapping feeling from within. _Stay… Here…_ she thought. She'd spent two months not knowing if she'd ever see her friend again, two months holding in all of her anger and frustration. Now Ochako had been found and she was being forced to _stay_ at the _dorms_. The pillars that supported her began to crumble and collapse.

"Will you all just settle-" Iida was cut off as Tsu snapped.

"No," she shouted. Everyone went silent as all of her anger and frustration, having never been given a voice, began to bubble over. "We haven't heard anything for two months, and you just expect us to _wait here._ " She was all but yelling.

"Tsu-" Iida tried, but she didn't let up.

"It's not fair." Iida moved forward and opened his mouth to speak. Tsu did the last thing any of them expected, even her. With both hands she physically shoved him back, shouting, "She's _my_ friend too."

Everyone fell silent with shock. Tsuyu had been the last person they'd expected to lash out. After a minute, Iida finally gathered himself enough to respond. "Tsu, I'm-" His head dropped. If it was up to him, they'd all go. He didn't want to do this, but he didn't have a choice. He was the class rep. It was his duty to keep order, especially in the midst of chaos, to ensure that the rules were followed no matter what. "I'm sorry, Asui. These are Mr. Aizawa's orders." He straightened his back and forced himself to look into the frog girl's eyes. They were of full tears, something he'd only seen once before, right after they'd moved into the dorms. It shook him, but he refused to budge.

"I-" she said. "I-" She looked around. All her friends were staring at her. They were all worried, all scared for Ochako and Midoriya. And here was Tsuyu Asui, in the middle of a breakdown. "I-" She was supposed to be a pillar to lean on, a shoulder to cry on. "I-" That pillar was gone, and those shoulders now shook with the burden of her own long-repressed anxiety. She swallowed hard and made her choice. "I'll be outside." And with that, she forced her way past her friends, her _family_ , and left the dorm alone.

She sat on the front steps of Height's Alliance as her columns of strength lay in rubble. She let out quiet sobs, too tired to hold them back. She had nothing left to give.

Tsu vaguely remembered Iida and the others chosen to go trying to get her to head inside. She refused to move, and eventually, they had to leave anyways, though Iida forced Tsu to promise she wouldn't leave the campus. She didn't know how long it was before she fell asleep. Was it a few minutes, an hour? When she woke up, it was light outside. She could see her breath as it came out her nose in twin streams of white. It was cold out, but she wasn't. Upon further examination, she discovered she had been bundled in several thick blankets.

She sat up, trying to clear her foggy mind.

"You're awake." Came a voice from beside her. Tsu flipped around to find Tokoyami, arms crossed, leaning against one of the columns next to the doors.

Tsu looked back down at the blankets, and then towards Tokoyami. He nodded at her. "I remembered you don't do so well in the cold."

Tsu pulled the layers of fabric tighter around herself. It was chilly outside, but the blankets were quite warm, more than enough to bring her comfort. "Thank you, ribbit," She said, her voice quiet and timid.

Tokoyami looked to the sky, to the dark clouds on the horizon, blowing in from the north. "It's a cold morning, for October." He said, his voice holding its usual gravity. "The weather is fitting, given the circumstances."

Tsu looked to the north and shivered, this time not because of the cold. Memories of last night resurfaced, followed quickly by a sense of shame. Tsu buried her head in her knees. She was supposed to be the dependable one, someone her friends could rely on no matter what. Last night had shown her just how wrong she was. She turned towards her classmate. "Tokoyami, I-"

"Don't." He didn't look at her as he spoke, but there was no judgment in his words, no annoyance. "Last night wasn't your fault. You're always there for us. I guess we never realized that no one was there for you. Of course," he shrugged. "Even if we wanted to, we can't help if we don't know there's something wrong."

Tsu didn't respond.

Tokoyami was the last person, in his own mind, that should be giving emotional advice. He rarely shared his feelings, and when he did, he intentionally veiled them so thickly in metaphor that no one could understand what he was saying. It was better that way, safer. He understood where Tsu was coming from, thinking she had to be some kind of support for the rest of her classmates, but to believe she was the only one? How could his friend not understand that she didn't have to bear this burden alone?

Tsu was all too aware of her own shortcomings. Tokoyami was right. She had tried to take on her friends' burdens, all the while neglecting her own anxieties. Why hadn't she talked to someone? The answer was all too painfully simple. Ochako, the one person she would've confided in, was the very reason the entire class was hurting.

It was with crystal clarity that Tsu recalled the day they'd been told the news, the silence that had filled the classroom. Something stood out to her, more than Mineta's denial, more than Bakugo's outrage. Midoriya had been silent, and not just in class. Tsu couldn't recall him speaking the rest of the day. That had seemed wrong to her, somehow. Had that been the start? Had the emptiness she'd glimpsed in him been the driving force behind her actions over the past two months. She looked back towards the boy behind her.

"Tokoyami," Tsu began. Her mind was jumbled up and exhausted, but she couldn't hold things in any longer. She went slow, forcing herself to put into words what had only thus far been emotions. "You wondered why I tried to help everyone? I think… I think it was something Midoriya said during the Sports Festival that's stuck with me, ribbit." Raising her head, Tsu looked out towards the U.A. main building towering above them, imposing in its brilliance, like a massive castle of glass and steel. The rays of the rising sun caught the windows in such way that caused the light to dance across the ground in front of them. " _A smiling, dependable, cool hero… That's what I want to be. That's why I'm giving it everything. For everyone._ " She let her gaze fall as she retreated back into the warmth the blankets provided. "He's been taking this the hardest, ribbit, I could tell. After what happened with Bakugo, with them going after him… I thought if I was a pillar this time, if I gave him someone to lean on…" She trailed off.

"He wouldn't try and go after Uraraka the same way."

She nodded, face buried in the blankets. "I- I tried to show him I was there. I wanted to help him, I think. He's always trying so hard, helping all of us. He deserved to have someone help _him_ for a change. I guess, instead of lifting his troubles, I ended up trying to take on everyone else's too."

Tokoyami smiled from where he stood beside the column. Izuku Midoriya. There was something different about that boy. Something that set him apart from the rest of Class 1-A, something that couldn't be defined in words. "He'll be fine."

Tsu shivered. "I know _he_ will. But will she? And if he went after her by himself-"

Tokoyami stopped her. "We don't know the full story. All Might was with him. If Midoriya snuck off, we would have heard about it sooner, don't you think."

Tsu turned back towards her fellow classmate. "Then how'd he find her?"

Tokoyami shrugged. "I'm not pretending to have the answers, but-"

"It's just so frustrating." Came a voice, cutting off Tokoyami. Both of the students turned towards the path leading to the front of U.A. It was Kirishima. He, Iida, Ashido, Yaoyorozu, and Todoroki were heading their way from the front of the school. Tsu didn't hesitate. She jumped to her feet, the several layers of blanket falling into a loose pile on the ground, and took several hops forward, landing right in front of Yaoyorozu. The rich girl let out a loud yelp and fell backwards. Todoroki caught her, and she righted herself.

"Tsu-" Momo began before the frog girl grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Ochako? Midoriya?" Tsu looked around, hoping to see at least one of them.

There was silence. Why was there silence? Tsu's emotions, still raw from her blow up the night before, threatened to lash out. She stopped them, barely, instead taking a step back and looking at her friends. They were tired and overwhelmed, and this clearly wasn't helping.

Tokoyami caught up just as Ashido began to speak. "Midoriya's still at the hospital." The normally cheerful girl was weak and subdued in a way Tsu had never seen her.

"Aizawa sent the rest of us home," Kirishima said as he placed a hand on Mina's shoulder. She shirked, pulling away. Everyone was shocked.

Tsu looked closer. Mina looked manic as her eyes darted from person to person. "I'm-" She swallowed. "I'll be in my room." She pushed past Tsu and Tokoyami and headed towards the dorms.

Tokoyami's gaze lingered on the retreating girl for several seconds before he turned to Iida. "What happened?"

The class rep shook his head. "It's… It's best if we get everyone together first." He moved towards Height's Alliance, the rest of his classmates behind him. Tsu held back, watching them go, Tokoyami by her side.

"You don't think she's…" She couldn't finish, the thought too horrible to even put into words.

Tokoyami shook his head. "I doubt that's the case. If something like that had happened, I'm sure they would have told us earlier."

Tsu nodded half-heartedly. She looked to the sky, to the brewing storm far to the north, unable to shake the feeling that their troubles were only just beginning. Whatever had happened, it wasn't good. Ochako would need her, but did Tsu have the strength to help her friend in her greatest time of need? She didn't know. She did, however, know one person who could. Closing her eyes, Tsu cried out a silent plea before heading inside.

 _Midoriya. Don't give up. For our sakes, and hers._

* * *

Aizawa led his student through the winding labyrinth of the hospital. As they walked, Izuku couldn't help but feel the weight of their conversation pressing down on him. He glanced at the small white business card in his hand. It was tempting. Peace, security, the guaranteed protection of his mother, his friends… all just a phone call away. Aizawa had said that Tsukauchi was one of the only people who knew where his mother was, and All Might had trusted the detective explicitly. If Izuku wanted to disappear, he had no doubt in his mind that the detective would be able to make it happen. But as tempting as the offer was, Izuku knew he couldn't take it.

He'd made a promise, not just to himself, but to All Might and, in a way, the world. He alone bore the torch of One for All. For better or for worse, he had sworn to become the world's next symbol of peace. If he gave up now, it would be no better than letting the league of villains win.

That left only one other option. Stand and fight. Which was a lot easier said than done. Could Izuku really keep fighting if doing so risked everyone he cared about? He couldn't let All Might down, he had to keep his oath. At the same time, those he loved and cared about hadn't signed up to be targets on his behalf.

He shook his head clear of such doubts. He was going to talk with All Might. He hadn't seen the older man since the alleyway. His mentor would no doubt know what to do. He had to. If he didn't-

"We're here," Aizawa said, pulling Izuku from his thoughts. They were in the waiting room of the Hospital's Surgery Wing. It was nearly empty, save a few people. An older man quietly comforting a sobbing girl who looked to be a few years younger than Izuku. A couple trying to wrangle two younger boys as they ran about. And, directly across from the entrance, a thin, blond, skeletal-looking man. All Might.

The retired hero sat leaning over his knees, head in his hands. To most, he looked despondent, but Izuku knew better. He saw the tightness in the man's shoulders. The slight shaking of his clenched hands. He wasn't discouraged, he was enraged. None of the occupants of the waiting room paid any attention to Aizawa as he walked over to the retired hero.

"I brought him." He whispered. All Might's head rose at the sound, and his deep shadowed eyes met Izuku's. The boy couldn't help but take a step back at what he saw. In those brilliant blues burned a righteous fury unlike any Izuku had seen before. A second later, that burning fury abated, as All Might focused in on his successor.

He whispered back to Aizawa, but Izuku didn't quite catch it. He stood, and the two teachers walked towards their student.

"All Might," Izuku said. His teacher looked exhausted.

All Might rested a thin, bony hand on Izuku's shoulder. "How are you making it, my boy?"

"I'm-" He started to say fine, but couldn't, so instead settled for a, "I'm making it."

His mentor nodded and moved past him. "Come on, we have a lot to talk about." Izuku followed the retired pro, pulling up beside him.

"And not a lot of time. The car will show up in fifteen minutes. I expect you to have him out front by then," Aizawa stated, hanging back by the door to the waiting room.

All Might nodded, his tone of voice clearly showed this was not the first time his colleague had mentioned it. "I know, I know. We'll be outside by the time the car gets here."

Several moments passed in silence before Izuku got the courage to speak up. "All Might."

"We're almost there. I requested an office so we can talk in private." All Might's voice was raw, the words thin and quiet. It caused Izuku to hesitate. He'd never heard the retired hero speak like that. That begged another question. What did All Might planning to say?

They navigated the stark white halls of the hospital quickly, eventually coming to a hallway with a line of doors on either side. All Might referenced a small piece of paper and then went to an office with a 3A written on it in black lettering. He held the door open for Izuku. "After you."

Izuku headed inside. It was a standard office. A large, black, L shaped desk and bookshelf dominated the small space. Thick books and medical journals filled the shelf, and a black computer monitor sat on the desk. There was a green, stereotypical office plant sitting in the corner underneath the window, a splash of color in an otherwise barren environment. A simple, metal chair sat in front of the desk.

"Sit down," All Might said as he moved to the window. Izuku obeyed as his mentor looked out over the hospital parking lot. Several seconds past in silence. Just as Izuku was about to say something, All Might spoke. "It's time we discuss your future, young man."

"All Might, I-" Izuku began, but the ex-pro held up a hand for silence.

"Enough of that for now," The blonde said as he turned towards Izuku, leaning against the window sill. "I have some things I need to tell you." Izuku nodded.

"First, there is something you need to understand. Izuku Midoriya," Izuku stiffened at the use of his full name. "This is not. Your. Fault." Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but the former symbol of peace stopped him. "Young man," he began again. "All of this," All Might's fists clenched at his sides. "All of this. Uraraka's kidnapping, the threat to you and your mother, was not caused by your actions or your choices."

Izuku simply stared into All Mights deep, cavernous eyes. Those twin, blue flames burned into him, shining a spotlight on the guilt Izuku was feeling. All Might was right, Izuku knew that, but deep down, past all the logic and reason, he couldn't help but blame himself. "All Might-" He tried again.

The man turned to face the window, leaning against it for support. "I know how you feel, young Midoriya. I know the guilt. I've felt it before. I feel it now." The retired hero looked down at the parking lot, at the old, cracked, sun-baked asphalt. There were only two or three cars that he could see from where he stood. It looked desolate. "I'm the one who placed this burden on you, who put you on this path. If I still had my power,"

"It's not your fault," Izuku shouted as he jumped to his feet.

All Might turned back to Midoriya, and could almost see the guilt and anguish oozing from the blow that Shigaraki had dealt to his spirit. Images entered the ex-pro's mind, images of the alley the night before. Images from before then, before he'd met Midoriya, before he'd become the symbol of peace, when he'd lost his own master. If anyone could understand what Izuku was going through, it was him.

All Might would give anything to help his young student. He'd take up arms himself so he didn't have to, if he could. But, this was no longer All Might's fight. He had passed it on, just like his old master had passed it to him. He had to get Midoriya to see that, to understand that it was up to the hero "Deku" now.

"I know that." He said finally, "but for the same reason, you can't blame yourself for this. Now, sit down and let's talk." Izuku obeyed and All Might continued. "You've been given two paths. Either let this be your end or stand up and fight. The choice is yours to make."

It took about a minute, but eventually, Izuku nodded. All Might smiled as a veridian fire began to return to those eyes. "Has Aizawa told you your options."

Izuku nodded, withdrawing the small, white business card with the number printed on it. "He said if I wanted to disappear, I'd just have to call this number."

All Might nodded. "Yes. You can trust Tsukauchi," He said, rubbing the back of his head as he did. "But something tells me it's not an option you're willing to take"

Izuku sighed. "I would be lying if I said I didn't consider it." As he talked, his mentor couldn't help but think how broken the boy looked, as if he was barely able to hold it all together. Then, the ex-hero watched as something changed, shifting within young Midoriya. His muscles tensed, his back straightened, and in that moment All Might knew exactly what was going through his successor's mind.

"Then," The young man continued, "I thought of all you've done, all you've given up so that I can succeed." His eyes fell to his gnarled and crooked right hand. "I thought of all the people who helped me get this far. My mom, Mr. Aizawa. Uraraka." His voice broke softly at her name and he looked up to meet All Might's gaze. Those twin points of veridian fire lit up into a raging blaze. "I can't give up. Not yet. Not when I've come this far."

All Might smiled. "I knew you'd say that. Since that's the case, let me offer you a third option."

Izuku looked confused. "A… third option?"

"Aizawa wants to increase your personal training at the school, which is all well and good, but in the end still puts you and your fellow students at risk." All Might moved, taking the seat in the swivel chair behind the desk. "We can't deny the fact that Shigaraki is trying to get to you through the ones you care about."

Izuku grimaced. "But why go after Uraraka? Why not my mother. And why me?"

"I don't know, but visited All for One shortly after he was imprisoned. He recognized you as my successor. If he knows, then probably so does Shigaraki. He'll do whatever it takes to get to you."

Izuku's eyes widened. Shigaraki knew about One for All. It only made sense, of course. That didn't change the fact that it was a harrowing thought. "Then what do we do?"

"Independent study. You'd be training with me and only a few others. It's not preferred, and it's no way a perfect solution. It won't be nearly as comprehensive as studying at UA, but if we do it, then we can draw Shigaraki's attention away from your classmates. We'd disappear, head of the grid, showing up as a distraction only to vanish again. We'd train, day and night until you were ready to take the exam for an official license and face the League of Villains head on."

It made sense. It was the safest option, for everyone. However, All Might was right. It wasn't a perfect solution. "But…" He said, a question to the word.

"But… You would be leaving UA, and your friends, and your mom. This is not an easy decision, and really, there is no right answer. But, it is a choice you have to make."

Another choice. It was one thing to decide not to give up. It was something else entirely to choose to leave everyone he knew. To just vanish. It would be to protect them, but did that make it okay? What would Kacchan think? Iida, Todoroki, Tsu… Uraraka. Izuku's mind ground to a halt at just the thought of her name. He saw the blood, the alley. He drew his mind's eye to the girls face. There were scars there, several burns. Above her, the image of _IZUKU_ was written in black over red brick. A pain shot through his chest as he forced himself away from the memories. He had a feeling he'd be fighting those images forever, never able to shake them.

He turned his eyes to his mentor. "All Might, what will happen to Uraraka?"

The man quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Mr. Aizawa, he said…" Izuku struggled to find the words through the muck that was his thoughts. "I mean, he told me that- Uraraka's physical injuries- I mean, we should be more concerned-"

"With her mind," All Might finished, nodding. "He's right. The body heals, and while physical injuries can last, they almost always heal better and faster than any damage done to someone's mind. The sad truth is, depending on the scope of the trauma, she may never fully recover. Even if she does, she won't be the same girl you knew two months ago."

Uraraka was Izuku's friend, his best friend, his first friend. After years of being shunned and bullied for being quirkless, she had been the first person Izuku's age to truly treat him like he mattered. He remembered with crystal clarity the video All Might had shown him, how Uraraka was willing to endanger her own place at UA just so he'd have a chance. All Might was right, he hadn't tortured Uraraka. He hadn't left her in an alley to die. Still, the young man couldn't excuse himself from all the blame. They had taken her to get at him. They had tortured her to get at him. As far as Izuku was concerned, that made him responsible.

All Might watched his young successor closely. He could picture the boy's emotions waging war behind that calm exterior. He still blamed himself. That much was obvious, All Might could tell. "You still feel guilty." He said with a sigh.

Midoriya didn't respond. In truth, he didn't know how to respond. Logically, he knew that this wasn't his fault. He knew that this was Shigaraki, that this entire situation had been out of his control. Still, something held him back from denying what All Might said.

"In any case," his mentor began, his voice low and comforting, "you don't have to decide now. I've talked to Nezu. He gave you a week to make your choice."

Izuku's eyes closed as he clenched his fists. "A week," He whispered. He ran his hands down his face. Even now, after he'd gotten at least some rest, he was tired, so very tired. All Might was right. It would be foolish to make the choice now. He needed to sleep on it, to pick apart the choices, to find the right answer, whatever it was.

Several moments passed between them in silence before All Might finally spoke, rising from his chair. "Come on, we should be going. Don't want to keep our ride waiting any longer than they have to."

Izuku nodded, hesitating a moment before rising. Without another word, All Might put an arm around his shoulders and led the young man out of the office and back to the hospital proper.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this took so long. I moved across state boundaries, and sadly, health insurance didn't move with me. So between a lack of medications and several really bad bugs in quick succession, it's been rather hectic getting everything sorted out.**

 **Don't know how I feel about this chapter, to be honest.**

 **It was definitely a necessary chapter, both the part with Tsu and the conversation with All Might. Both set things up for future chapters. Tell me what you think. I want your honest opinion.**

 **Things are looking up for Izuku, so that's good. But we've almost entirely focused on him so far, so next chapter will most likely be almost, if not entirely, about Uraraka, which is about time. Sorry that it's taken so long to get to her.**

 **Believe it or not, but it was actually kind of fun to write Tsu like this. She's tide for my second favorite character, and I'm interested to see what everyone thinks of it. My reasoning for her break down is such. I think Tsu is a person who wants to be the one to not cry so that others have the chance. In every hard situation, there often is at least one person like that. They're reasoning, I find, is often that someone needs to hold it together, so others don't have to. Eventually however, that person can only keep it together so much till they can't hold it in.**

 **I'd love to hear what you guys think of both the Tsu part and the part with All Might's conversation, specifically Midoriya's choices.**

 **On a side note, the next chapter might be a little slower to release. I'm taking a different approach to writing this story that I think will, overall, decrease the amount of time between chapters. As always, I'll try to post consistently on my profile page with updates.**

 **Special thanks to** Guest **,** Shipping Is Magic 4 Ever **,** Reverseflash **,** PiperValdez888 **,** a-female-human-bean **,** Chopper911 **,** fencer29 **,** **and** Ooobserver **for reviewing. Your feedback keeps me going.**

 **Please review, and feel free to PM. For some reason it was disabled, but it's back now, so PM anytime.**

 **Till next time.  
-Cindermane**


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